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What is a plug-in?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do I know I need one?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do I get plug-ins?

 

 

 

 
 
 

Macromedia Flash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macromedia Shockwave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Quicktime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adobe Acrobat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Using Plug-ins
Contents
 

EXPLANATION

SOURCES

These hints will help you understand, obtain and use plug-ins.

Instructions are intended for students using their own computers. Modification of NCI computers should not be attempted.

This is an introduction only and students should ask their teacher for assistance if they are having difficulty with plug-ins required for an NCI online course.
 

 
EXPLANATION

To display all the information contained on a website (e.g. an online course), your computer may need to have plug-ins loaded.

A plug-in is a small accessory program which allows your web browser to view or play certain types of files which are not handled by the standard version of the browser (in other words, not built into Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox etc.).

Web pages which link to files requiring plug-ins usually contain a warning to the viewer. Otherwise, there are file-type symbols (icons) which identify the file-type. When clicking on the link or double-clicking on the icon does not open or play the file, your browser will open a window advising that it cannot recognise the file type.

Windows of this type indicate that a plug-in is required which is not available on your computer.

Popular plug-ins can be downloaded for free from the websites of the companies which market them (see next section for some websites). The download instructions at these websites will include assistance in installing them on your computer. When you have downloaded and installed the plug-in, files requiring the plug-in will open and play automatically within your browser.

 
SOURCES

Macromedia Flash Player, Macromedia Shockwave, Quicktime and Adobe Acrobat Reader are four plug-ins which may be required by NCI online courses, and also in some areas of this website. See links below for download sites.

Macromedia Flash player

Download from

http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer/
 

Macromedia Shockwave player

Download from

http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/
 


Quicktime 

Download from

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/



 

Adobe Acrobat Reader enables all types of documents to be placed online and be viewed as they would be in their hardcopy format. Files which need the Acrobat Reader have the file type .pdf (Portable Document Format) and are indicated on a web page by the symbol:

Download from

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/alternate.html